On Friday, at approximately 3:45 a.m., 52-year-old Florida Paving and Trucking employee Jose Gonzales was sleeping in his heavy-duty Chevy C4500 flatbed, which was parked near JJ’s Dog House Bar on 10700 Overseas Highway in Marathon, Florida, when his truck was set on fire.
According to the Miami Herald, James Stuart Collins, 28, allegedly tipped over a can of gasoline and set it on fire.
Gonzales’ vehicle, which was full of diesel fuel, exploded.
Gonzales suffered second and third degree burns over 61% of his body. He was airlifted to a trauma center in Miami.
Witnesses said Collins started the fire.
Becky Herrin, spokeswoman for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, said Collins, a resident of Jamestown, North Carolina, was arrested when he returned to the scene of the crime while investigators were still examining the scene.
At this time, it is unclear whether the suspect knew the driver was in his vehicle or not.
There is no report on the current condition of the driver.